Chapter 84

Isaac tilted his head, his gaze drifting toward the chair by the window. Only yellow sunlight rested upon the empty seat now, but Kaiyan had apparently remained there the entire time. Perhaps he had been curious how long Isaac would stay unconscious after sleeping for three full days the previous time. Yet he had no reason to sit beside him and wait.

Had the prince worried that he might die because he did not want to lose the eyes capable of finding the witch? Or was that chair simply the most comfortable in the entire world? Isaac considered every possibility but could not find a convincing reason for the prince to have stayed.

“It would be nice if he was worried about me.” The words slipped out before he could think. At the same time, the sensation he had forgotten moments earlier returned, and his heart abruptly began racing.

“Hey. Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Isaac muttered, thumping his chest in bewilderment.

From a distance, the three cats watching him narrowed their eyes.

「He must have suffered a serious injury to the head.」

「It seems so. He did remain unconscious for quite a while.」

「Muddlehead, do you still recognize us?」

“Shut up, you damned cats.”

「That vile and insolent tongue certainly belongs to our Muddlehead. Then why did he suddenly start beating his own chest?」

Isaac’s hand stopped. He whipped around toward the cats, who fluffed their fur and watched him warily. “I mean Lord Kaiyan.”

「The handsome one?」

“Yes, he’s handsome. But was he always that handsome?”

「…」

The cats’ eyes narrowed even further.

「Well, he is the greatest beauty in this kingdom.」

“Ah, yes. That’s right. He is.”

「…」

Isaac nodded to himself and released a slow breath. The cats pressed their heads together and began whispering in the distance, but he did not hear them.

Isaac. The image that returned most vividly was Kaiyan calling his name in that low voice. The prince’s face had been burned into Isaac’s memory, his blue eyes fixed upon him with frightening intensity. Amid that terrible fear, Kaiyan had been the only person Isaac could cling to without hesitation. He had seemed as vast and immovable as a mountain. His face, his expression, and his voice all remained painfully clear.

Why does my heart keep beating like this?

Isaac rubbed his chest and drew a deep breath.

「Hey. If you’re only going to entertain idiotic thoughts, go back to sleep.」

「Indeed. Lack of sleep clouds judgment.」

「Sleep deeply. Go on.」

The cats meowed in obvious displeasure. Isaac barely listened. He kept one hand over his chest for a while, then set down his spoon and rose from the bed.

“No. I should go to the study. I cannot neglect my duties.”

And I want to look at that sculpted face a little longer.

Isaac kept that part to himself as he hurriedly dressed. His exhausted body still refused to move with much strength, but he could manage.

「His vitality hasn’t even returned, yet look at him staggering around.」

「He should sleep and recover.」

The cats chattered spitefully.

What has displeased them this time? Their voices are positively dripping with venom.

Then Isaac suddenly froze. He stood motionless for some time, his gaze lowered in thought. Only when the cats began rolling their eyes and whispering, 「What is he doing?」 did he turn toward them.

“If I took only enough vitality from each person to cause no harm, how many people would I need before I could safely see Alikisa?”

「Alikisa? You mean to see where she is?」

「Let us see. Assuming you wanted to look for several dozen seconds while retaining enough strength not to collapse immediately… Twenty people? Thirty?」

「But we already told you. If you take such tiny amounts, the energy will disperse before long.」

“What if I gathered them in one place and took a little from all of them at once?”

「You mean gather several humans together and feed on them simultaneously?」

「Are you planning to advertise that you are a witch?」

「It seems he has finally resolved to leave human society.」

Isaac fell silent. If he truly did such a thing, if he gathered many people and drew vitality from them in a short period, concealing his inhuman nature would be impossible. The more people who knew, the more likely the truth would spread. From that moment onward, Isaac would have to live openly as something other than human.

Could I continue living among people that way? He did not know. He had no confidence that he could. Even so…

“I should at least learn how to take vitality from a human.” He could not erase the terrified face of the young man who had been consumed before his eyes. And somewhere Isaac could not see, the same horror was likely spreading to other strangers he would never know. “Let me meet a dream demon.”

The cats looked at one another, their eyes rolling.

「As you wish.」

Their tails struck the floor.

***

Arc 6

The lord’s residence was extraordinarily vast. It was neither as extravagant nor as opulent as the royal palace, but if one included the forest stretching directly behind it, the estate’s grounds nearly rivaled the palace in size. The buildings themselves looked old, but possessed a refined and immaculate dignity, appearing to blend naturally into Haylen’s landscape.

“Even upon seeing it again, this remains a splendid estate. It possesses remarkable elegance and atmosphere.”

The middle-aged man speaking was an acquaintance of the lord, who nodded with immense pride and satisfaction.

“Ha ha, I am grateful to hear you say so. To tell the truth, this manor has descended through my family for generations. It may not be grand enough to boast of before our distinguished guest, but it remains one of my greatest sources of pride.”

“Ha ha. Understandably so.”

The guests seated around the enormous banquet table nodded and voiced their agreement. The guest of honor at the head of the table, upon whom the lord had lavished the greatest attention, offered no particular response. He merely moistened his lips with wine.

The lord had arranged the banquet after inviting the prince. Most of those present were prominent figures from the surrounding region. Not one of them would ordinarily be treated lightly, yet even as they conversed with apparent ease, their attention remained fixed upon Kaiyan. Their eyes followed his every movement.

Kaiyan had received an extraordinary divine oracle at birth and grown up with beauty and strength that seemed blessed by the gods. Before even reaching adulthood, he had gone to the frontier, achieved legendary military victories, and returned to the capital. Stories of him had spread not merely throughout the kingdom, but across the continent. Wherever he traveled, countless people wished to see him, even from afar.

That’s right. He was that kind of person…

Isaac had forgotten, having spent so much time constantly at Kaiyan’s side. He murmured the thought under his breath, feeling the air of suppressed excitement radiating through the banquet hall.

The lord had pleaded repeatedly before securing this event. They intended to dine until late, stay one night at the estate, and return to the detached palace the following day. Tonight was the decisive opportunity upon which the lord intended to stake everything.

His chosen card, his daughter Grace, sat directly beside the prince. She looked as beautiful as a flower tonight. Already lovely, she had been dressed and adorned with painstaking care until she appeared dazzling. Seated beside Kaiyan, they looked like a perfectly matched pair of beautiful noble lovers.

Though, naturally, our prince is far more beautiful. Isaac found himself thinking like an infatuated admirer.

Kaiyan suddenly turned his gaze. His eyes met Isaac’s, who had been staring vacantly at him. At the sight, Isaac immediately looked away. From the corner of his eye, he sensed the prince raise an eyebrow and stare at him, but Isaac resolutely refused to meet his gaze.

It had been happening throughout the evening. Whenever Kaiyan happened to look in his direction, Isaac quickly lowered his eyes or turned his head. At first, the prince merely regarded him with mild confusion and let the matter pass. After several repetitions, however, his gaze had begun settling into something colder. Isaac told himself that he ought to look back normally, but he could not. The instant their eyes met, he became inexplicably flustered and self-conscious, and his gaze escaped before he could prevent it.

The reason was simple.

Strange… I always knew he was handsome, but was he truly that handsome? He almost seems to be shining.

The thought filled Isaac’s head. It was embarrassing, and no one found it more bewildering than Isaac himself. He rubbed the warmth spreading across his cheeks and stole another look at Kaiyan, who faced the table with a bored expression. The prince appeared somewhat displeased.

Even so, he still looks as though he was carved from stone.

At the same time, Grace, the lord’s daughter, said something to the prince. Kaiyan listened silently and gave a short reply. Whatever they discussed could not have been important, because Grace laughed with delight.

I see. He is old enough to marry.

Isaac’s shoulders sagged as his strength inexplicably left him. Marriage was practically an obligation for royalty. Even Kaiyan’s younger siblings already had spouses, so the prince was late by comparison. There would be nothing strange about him marrying at any time. Even if he married the same young woman seated beside him.

Isaac felt an unusual sense of depression. With a sigh, he lowered his gaze to his feet.

Dash!

Something black suddenly streaked across the top of his foot. It planted a paw squarely upon him before flashing past like lightning. Two more similar shadows followed.

“Huh?”

Isaac’s eyes tracked them. Three black balls of fur were racing through the banquet hall. His mouth dropped open.

Those little bastards…!

“Oh!”

“What is that?”

“Cats? How did cats get in here?”

The hall erupted into commotion as the dark shapes darted between people’s feet. The lord widened his eyes and turned toward the guards. “How did three cats get this far inside? Who brought them in? Catch them at once!”

The guards raised their spears in confusion. Isaac panicked even more.

I told those creatures over and over not to run around wherever they please!

For one brief moment, he considered pretending not to know them. The instant the guards moved forward with their spears, however, all three cats raced directly to Isaac and hid behind him.

Every eye in the hall settled upon him. His vision darkened.

“I apologize—”

“They are creatures I occasionally feed,” Kaiyan spoke before Isaac could continue. Those who had begun frowning at Isaac immediately smoothed their expressions and turned toward the prince. “I had thought that if they continued behaving so wildly, I should put them in cages and never release them again.”

I will have to find suitable cages.

Kaiyan looked toward the three cats with indifference. Their fur bristled, and they froze so completely that it seemed they might die where they stood.

Even when Isaac picked all three up and left them dangling from his arms, they remained as limp as dolls. Isaac bowed in confused gratitude, finding it strange for Kaiyan to help him in this way. As he raised his head, his eyes met the prince’s again, and once more, Isaac’s gaze dropped reflexively.

No, this isn’t right. Why can’t I look at him?

He rubbed his unnecessarily heated face and let his eyes wander elsewhere. Kaiyan’s expressionless face grew even colder.

“Why did you come all the way in here?” Isaac muttered to the cats. “If you followed us, you should have stayed outside and played in the grass. Why enter the banquet hall?”

He hugged the aggravating creatures very tightly. In turn, they rolled their enormous eyes and looked proud, as though they had accomplished something impressive.

“See that they do not run around again. Keep them quiet,” the lord said after clearing his throat twice.

“I apologize,” Isaac said, bowing deeply. He decided he wouldn’t let go of the three cats until the banquet concluded.

Suddenly, a soft laugh came from beside him. Isaac turned to see Elli standing there. He hadn’t noticed her arrival. She gave him a small bow and smiled brightly.

“Are you all right? Those cats seem to be quite a handful for you.”

“Yes… though it’s nothing new,” Isaac replied with a sigh.

As if his words were amusing, she laughed silently and stepped closer, now standing near enough to whisper. If either of them leaned slightly, their shoulders would touch. A pleasant fragrance wafted past Isaac’s nose, familiar yet unidentifiable, making him want to take in more of it.

“I’m glad to see you again, Sir Guard. I really wanted to meet you once more. I’ve been eagerly waiting since this morning.” Her words were bold, but a hint of shyness softened her expression.

Isaac chuckled softly. “Thank you.” After meeting her several times, conversing with her had become somewhat easier. She was an unusual young woman. Not strikingly beautiful, yet something about her always caught his attention. Her low voice, with its unique resonance, had the same effect. It was familiar for no reason he could name, pleasant enough that one naturally leaned closer to listen.

“I heard His Highness will be staying here tonight.”

“Yes. Unless something unexpected occurs.”

“Then you’ll be staying the night too.”

“I will.”

“We’ll have plenty of time to talk tonight.” She looked steadily up at Isaac and whispered, her gently curved eyes never leaving him.

Isaac smiled back but felt flustered once more. Did she truly mean they would just talk, or did her words imply something else?

“Ha ha. Yes, I suppose so. I wonder if I have any interesting stories to share.”

“Must we have something specific to discuss? It’s enough if we enjoy each other’s company.”

No matter how Isaac thought about it, her remark invited a lot of misunderstanding. Surely I’m just misunderstanding her.

Isaac continued smiling. Then he turned his head and met Kaiyan’s gaze. The prince had been staring at them coldly for longer than just a few moments. Two or three people followed his gaze and glanced at Isaac.

“You.” Kaiyan spoke before Isaac could lower his eyes. His piercing blue stare was like a blade. “Do not lower your eyes.”

“…Yes.”